Indian legislators pass strict antirape law

NEW DELHI — The Indian Parliament's lower house passed a landmark law Tuesday that sets tougher penalties for rapists and police who refuse to file a woman's complaint of rape, and criminalizes sexual offenses such as stalking, voyeurism and acid attacks.

The amendments to the existing law incorporate some of the sweeping changes that were demanded after the fatal gang rape of a young paramedical student in New Delhi in December, an incident that sparked a nationwide outcry against the lack of safety for

The new law, which the upper house is expected to pass, sets a maximum penalty of death in cases in which a rape victim dies or is left in a "persistent vegetative state." Those convicted in incidents of gang rape, the rape of a minor or rape by a policeman or public official will be sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison, up from seven to 10 years.